redskinman Posted November 9, 2016 Share Posted November 9, 2016 Hello from Texas Never owned motorhome before, been wanting to get a Toyota for years. I will be looking to purchase one within the next couple of months and need advice on what to look for and things to check. I've owned multiple travel trailers, and the last 2 I've bought had hidden water damage that I did not detect before purchasing, so that is my main concern. I know the easy things to look for, soft floor, soft walls, obvious water staining, etc. I would think most of these have probably sustained some water damage over the years, I just don't want to end up with one that's completely rotted inside the walls. I am only going to focus on Toyotas with the V6 and I want one with a generator. Any help is appreciated. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjrbus Posted November 9, 2016 Share Posted November 9, 2016 Welcome I am all for the V6 Auto. The main things I see is the V6 gets 20 MPG! Either delusional or a liar! Tires have lots of thread, learn to read date code, unless you are trained tire tech tires should be replaced at 7 years. AC just needs a charge, if it needs a charge it is broken, and will likely be an expensive fix. AC in V6 Toys is R12, not 134a. Rot and water damage, tapping on where wood should be. If wood is wet it will make a thunk sound, if dry it should be a sharp sound. If lot's of added caulk is seen, it has likely leaked. I am sure others will chip in with more. HTH Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunkaman Posted November 9, 2016 Share Posted November 9, 2016 hey there redskinman, water damage is an obvious concern, often damage is not visually apparent. i would suggest trying to find a rig that has low miles or has been well maintained with service documentation, etc. , but in my opinion, you can only verify so so much about the condition as pertaining to water damage. you will know it if you see it, but if you don't see it, does not mean there isn't some. i could only suggest the things you have already mentioned as warning signs. maybe closely inspect windows for the condition of caulking, or look at the roof seams or overall condition of roof and how vents and other roof projections appear. not sure if my 2 cents helps, but wish you well with your search. joe from dover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougH Posted November 9, 2016 Share Posted November 9, 2016 Check for water damage at the bottom of everything. Windows don't leak onto the outside of the inside wall paneling unless everything around there is soaked first. Water leaks in the outside seam of a window and runs down the inside of the outside wall, panel, shell or whatever. It soaks things on its way, framing etc finally it will end up on the floor if there is/was enough to make it there. Look under the cabinets at the lowest point, where they contact the floor. It's easy to spot water damage at the base of fiberboard cabinets. Sometimes (often?) people will park a motor home out back of their house and leave it plugged in to use for a guest room or for their kids to play in. If even a tiny plumbing leak occurs, it can become disastrous for the rv. The water pump, if it is left on, will keep the system under pressure as long as there is water in the tank. I believe that most of the mushy floors we find have been soaked in that way. Both of my Sunraders had been. Good luck Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totem Posted November 9, 2016 Share Posted November 9, 2016 The voice of descent, I'd advise not getting the 6 as the 22 re was one of the strongest motors ever made, wimpy speed but strong hard working with little needed out of your wallet. Getting full one piece fiberglass models is a great way to lessen water damage risk from the outside. The more you are willing to do the cheaper it will be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred heath Posted November 9, 2016 Share Posted November 9, 2016 If your really concerned with water damage and moisture, they make meters to detect hidden moisture. It would be a good investment before laying down your hard earned cash. Below is a link to one such product. Good luck. FRED https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00275F5O2/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1478695829&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX280_SY350_QL65&keywords=wood+moisture+meters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunkaman Posted November 9, 2016 Share Posted November 9, 2016 hey there redskinman, testing with a moisture meter is a great idea. another area to check is the running lights. i have read on this forum a few times of owners finding that water had seeped in from the running lights not being sealed well. good luck joe from dover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redskinman Posted November 9, 2016 Author Share Posted November 9, 2016 (edited) Thanks for all the replies,some good advice for me.Totem thanks but I'm going to want to occaisonally want to pull small boat behind it.For those of you with the V6,how much weight do you pull with it if any? Also V6 owners,anything in particular I need to watch out for on the engine or transmission? When do the timing belts/chain need to be replaced? Approximate cost? Also on the moisture tester,do those pins need to puncture the material you are testing or just touch it? thanks Edited November 9, 2016 by redskinman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjrbus Posted November 9, 2016 Share Posted November 9, 2016 Towing is not recommended by the manufacturer! The issue with it is the frame extensions added when turned into RV are very weak. Mine says "not designed for towing" on the rear. Some do tow with them, MtDave posted on how he beefed up his frame for towing. Others are towing with no modifications. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totem Posted November 9, 2016 Share Posted November 9, 2016 i tow on my 4 banger all the time. redskinman.. i would advse not getting a toyota for you if you plan to tow boats alot though; that i do not do. i just tow small trailer sometimes with crap but never more than 600 lbs plus the trailer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redskinman Posted November 10, 2016 Author Share Posted November 10, 2016 7 hours ago, Totem said: i tow on my 4 banger all the time. redskinman.. i would advse not getting a toyota for you if you plan to tow boats alot though; that i do not do. i just tow small trailer sometimes with crap but never more than 600 lbs plus the trailer Well I wont be towing all the time but would like to some times.It's a small boat but probably about 2000 lbs This one is currently for sale near me but I havent went and looked at it https://houston.craigslist.org/rvs/5808905835.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunkaman Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 hey there redskinman, there is current discussion on the forum regarding the v6 head gasket recall situation. you may want to look into that. it may be helpful for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86rader Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 If you want to pull a 2000 lb boat, get a Ford/Chevy C Class. Way too much weight. A 500 lb aluminum boat with a very light trailer would be all I would consider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redskinman Posted November 13, 2016 Author Share Posted November 13, 2016 On 11/9/2016 at 7:41 PM, hunkaman said: hey there redskinman, there is current discussion on the forum regarding the v6 head gasket recall situation. you may want to look into that. it may be helpful for you. Ok thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redskinman Posted November 13, 2016 Author Share Posted November 13, 2016 (edited) On 11/10/2016 at 3:44 PM, 86rader said: If you want to pull a 2000 lb boat, get a Ford/Chevy C Class. Way too much weight. A 500 lb aluminum boat with a very light trailer would be all I would consider. Ok thanks for advice Saw this on San Antonio craigslist and was pretty shocked by pic https://sanantonio.craigslist.org/rvs/5867516290.html He only had 1 pic and this is it,he's pulling this dunebuggy with a 4 banger!? Holy crap Edited November 13, 2016 by redskinman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 That might explain why he has a rebuilt engine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redskinman Posted November 13, 2016 Author Share Posted November 13, 2016 Just now, Derek up North said: That might explain why he has a rebuilt engine? Lol yeah I thought somebody might say something about that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 There are lots of examples of 'extreme' towing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjrbus Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 I wish I had a picture, my friend Fred has an old 4 banger Sunrader and tow's the hugest loads with it. I don't understand why he has never been pulled over? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 My friend Tony pulled a 1000lb trailer to Mexico from Canada for years. Had a tiny Sunrader with the 22r engine. Managed to go over high mountain ranges ands rough roads with it. He was a jeweler so that trailer was full of rough which means rocks. Not recommending it but some people are never going to go by the rules Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redskinman Posted November 13, 2016 Author Share Posted November 13, 2016 Since I've never drove one I dont know but I had always heard that those 4 bangers barely did the job they had with the camper shell,I dont know how they are being able to tow something on top of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 Another I forgot to post is a guy from Ontario who trailered (with a V6) a Smart from Ontario to Texas and back. There were posts saying he had to have his heads done after, but I only read the claims, never a post by the owner so I don't know if true and what the facts were. Had the head gasket recall been done? Had the valves been adjusted? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86rader Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 The interwebs are full of picture of people doing really stupid things. I place most of the above pictures in that basket. It is not a matter of lack of pulling power. You can tow heavy things.....very slowly. It is a matter of a flimsy hitch mount, which I suppose can be fixed, an dmore importantly, a lack of braking power. These things don't stop on a dime. Hell, they won't stop on a piggy bank full of silver dollars. Adding a ton or more to shove this already near brakeless machine, really isn't all that smart. I do suppose that the newer rigs with the one ton front ends do likely have a little more braking power, but not enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 I towed a 1000lb trailer over many 9000ft passes. It DID have electric brakes for the trips down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Toyota Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 (edited) I myself would never think of towing at all with the auto trans. and in this st you are req to have brake.s I think on 2000 pounds and up . my dolphin says in the org books no towing with this unit . at all. rebuilt eng ? what about the auto trans? Edited November 14, 2016 by 5Toyota add text Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 Trailer brakes (or a Brake Buddy if flat towing) would obviously be a good idea. Reinforcing the frame extensions too (obviously). The Toyota 1-Ton (SRW) was rated at 8500lb GCWR. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_combined_weight_rating I'm always surprised when most scream "DON'T TOW ANYTHING!!" but when someone posts that they've weighed their Toyota @ 7700lb, nobody says anything! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totem Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 Ive seen plenty of 22re wrecker trucks from back in the day; if it can tow other vehicles it can tow other crap. problem is you are towing the camper also. The prospect of dealing with wife n kids broke down in mountains scares me from attempting anything over 600 lbs, but if it was just me.. what the heck do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redskinman Posted November 14, 2016 Author Share Posted November 14, 2016 13 hours ago, 5Toyota said: I myself would never think of towing at all with the auto trans. and in this st you are req to have brake.s I think on 2000 pounds and up . my dolphin says in the org books no towing with this unit . at all. rebuilt eng ? what about the auto trans? Yeah thats what I was thinking{about the transmission} Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redskinman Posted November 14, 2016 Author Share Posted November 14, 2016 Just about every Toyota rv {v6}I've seen for sale already has a towing hitch installed,so obviously a lot of people are using them.I would only do it occaisonally and where I live its all flat,no hills.The farthest I would probably tow anything would be 100 miles,most trips would be under 50.The boat might be too heavy but I would like to trailer my small dune buggy to some local atv parks or to the beach.I dont want to go with a bigger rv because I'd like to be able to keep it in my driveway as i am already paying storage fees on another rv.i'm not sure how much the boat weighes,it's a jetski that slides into a small boat.The dune buggy{1990 Honda Pilot fl400 atv}weighs about 600 lbs which will be on a 5x8 trailer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 I'd just not assume that if there's a 2" receiver installed that the frame extensions were reinforced enough to tow with. The receiver might have just been installed to install a bicycle rack! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redskinman Posted November 14, 2016 Author Share Posted November 14, 2016 3 hours ago, Derek up North said: I'd just not assume that if there's a 2" receiver installed that the frame extensions were reinforced enough to tow with. The receiver might have just been installed to install a bicycle rack! Lol yep.I've reinforced a few of my travel trailers.Here in Tx I can pull this train which I've done quite a few times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redskinman Posted November 26, 2016 Author Share Posted November 26, 2016 (edited) Well not having any luck,the one Toyota in Houston with the v6 sold before I had a chance to look at it.Theres a couple for sale with 4 cyl but they dont look so great.I went and looked at a couple that werent toyotas and they looked like crap in person as compared to pics.Theres a toyota for sale in Austin that looks ok but he's asking more then I want to spend and it doesnt have a generator. https://austin.craigslist.org/rvs/5831771970.html I dont want to go over 10,000.I see plenty for sale in AZ or CA for under 10 grand,but thats just too far to go to look at one,and I dont want to buy one sight unseen from my previous experiences. Anyone here in AZ can go look at them for me? Edited November 26, 2016 by redskinman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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